178 ENGLISH ESTATE FORESTRY 



appearing above ground. Where the sowing of this seed 

 is an annual operation, it is probably better economy in 

 the long-run to sow in a wooden frame formed of slabs or 

 boards let into the ground to a depth of 6 or 8 inches. The 

 soil inside these frames can then be removed before sowing, 

 and a layer of soot, lime, or any other material which will 

 keep out grubs and worms be placed in the bottom. The 

 natural soil can then be returned, and the seed sown on top. 

 These frames are also useful for protecting seeds against late 

 frosts, as thin canvas or mats can be placed over the seed- 

 beds at night. 



As a general rule, raising plants from seed in the home 

 nm'sery should not be carried on to any great extent with 

 delicate seedlings. The dangers and accidents to which 

 seedlings are exposed, the many enemies which have to be 

 fought against, and the large percentage of losses which are 

 almost sure to occur during the first two years, render home- 

 raised plants a more expensive item than those inexperienced 

 on the subject would suppose. In the large majority of 

 cases it pays as well, if not better, to buy in two-year 

 seedlings from a public nursery, and grow them on until fit 

 to transplant in the woods. This method is almost in- 

 variably adopted with larch and conifers generally, and with 

 moderate care the losses attending the process are very 

 small. But great care should be taken to prevent the 

 seedlings becoming dry at the roots before they are bedded 

 out. In many cases the plants are received from the public 

 nursery several months before they are bedded, and, the 

 custom being to tie them up in bundles of a hundred or 

 so in each bundle, it is naturally most convenient to lay 

 them in by the heels without untying them. Yet this 

 practice is responsible, for more deaths amongst seedling 

 plants than many imagine. The plants in the middle of 

 these bundles are totally isolated from the surrounding soil, 

 and in the course of a week or two they become almost as 

 dry as if spread out on the floor of a shed. PuUy 50 per 

 cent, of the plants so treated either perish or become so 

 weakened that their growth is affected throughout the whole 

 of the following season. A rule should always be made, and 



